Historic 5th Street School

The Historic 5th Street School Mayor's Gallery is truly phenomenal. It celebrates local artists throughout the year with its many exhibits, not the least of which is the annual Chinese New Year art show.Curator Jeanne Voltura brings out the best artists with amazing pieces and always seems to find new talent. Obviously, there's no shortage of wonderful artwork in Las Vegas, and this gallery shows that.Throughout the year, I'm intrigued to see what new exhibitions will be on display as it never disappoints. Can't wait to go back!

Last week I went to check out Lunar New Year Exhibition: Year of the Snake. It was very busy since there was opening reception was going on. I believe there was some friends and families of local artists that also attended the event. That must had been the reason for big crowd and loudness of the area. It did feel overcrowded so we did leave early but I did get to see all the arts in short time.

Annual Tamales and Mariachi festival at First Street school. I just walked to the Bonita Market to buy tamales. The grass is super wet and I've got mud all over my shoes. The City of LV should've placed vendors somewhere else.

Went to a book signing. Helpful staff, but it's a maze! Hard to find things. Parking lot nearby.

I like historical stuff so this interested me. It's obviously an old school. People still use it even though it no longer operates as a school. It has several festivals. This is also popular for weddings. Architecture here is incredibly beautiful. It's a classic Spanish mission style with all the arches and bells. There's a huge bell in the courtyard. It's kept up well even though it's been closed as a school for awhile. There has been construction going on here so they're obviously keeping this maintained. It has a small park in the back. This is good to cut through to get to Fremont but watch out for the homeless. It isn't in a great area of the city. This is still pretty safe since it's next to the courthouse. You should at least walk by and look.

Great Piece of Las Vegas History!. This is the oldest and first school in the Las Vegas. I was able experience the interior during a KNPR photo contest awards ceremony last week. The property has been well preserved and updated to modern day building codes set forth by the City and County officials. The exterior is done in a Mission style architecture I believe and is a great example of how the inhabitants of the great City of Las Vegas lived prior to A/C. The back of the space on 4th St contains Centennial Park. This is a small space dedicated by the city in 2005 on its 100 year anniversary. there are no play structures here or grass mostly trees and areas to sit. Unfortunately the local homeless population tend to camp here at night. The most interesting feature about this park is the Art sculpture in the center near the Historic 5th St School. The "Simulacrum" as it is known. This piece of functional art is actually a time capsule and will not be opened until the City of Las Vegas' Bicentennial. Unfortunately none of us will be around to see this but an interesting nugget of knowledge for fellow Yelpers to know.

Great venue for an event like a wedding! My manager got hitched here last month, and I was impressed with the courtyard where she had the ceremony. Yes it was outside, and started at 530pm, so it was a little warm, sitting under the trees, we were bothered by a few bee's, probably attracted to all the sweet smells of our perfume. Because the courtyard was surrounded on all sides by buildings, we didn't get the benefit of a breeze and even though we could hear a little of the street noise, it wasn't too bad. The reception was moved inside to the gym/auditorium which was huge! There is a stage, great place for the DJ, and a large enough space for dancing. Overall, a historic piece of Las Vegas, that turns out to be a great place for a party!

There are few things in Las Vegas that can be called historic, as we have this tendency to blow things up once we tire of them. I have no problem with explosives, but it is nice to have a few historic places, and this is one of them. The school originally opened in 1936 when Vegas was a booming town of 12,000. Now, the venue houses several local arts organizations, and it also serves as a venue for events, many of which are artistic in nature. There is a 5600 square foot auditorium that has the feeling of a nice high school gymnasium. It is perhaps not the most stunning, but it works nicely for lectures and screenings. There is also a gallery adjoining the auditorium. The main draw here is the programming. I have attended several artist talks, a stop motion animation screening, and an arts networking event. I know if I am headed to the Historic 5th Street School I am about to get schooled in something! And, I like that.The school also has several outdoor areas, including a secluded courtyard and an open 16000 square foot plaza. The one minor downside is that this is a resting spot for homeless people in the area. However, I attended the Project Dinner Table at this venue, and it was beautiful. The main attraction for the plaza is a public art piece by Stephen Hendee, "Monument to the Simulacrum." Whenever I drive by with friends I am eager to point out this majestic piece. To me it is a special landmark for Downtown and provides a provoking juxtaposition to the Fremont Experience. There is actually a time capsule buried beneath it! I wish there were a calendar of events happening at the school, but as far as I know, there is not one easily accessible. But, if you get a chance to attend an event here or if you are looking for a venue for an event, definitely check it out and get a taste of a non-imploded historic landmark.

June 24, 2023. I went with my most cultured buddy to the Django concert. The Hot Club, Brad Brose and his Bad Bros started at 6:00 PM and played till around 8:30. Either of the two groups would have been a satisfying evening. Of course the big draw was world renowned guitarist Tommy Emmanuel who doesn't just play; he performs magic tricks with his guitars. After an amazing hour of hundreds of us eating out of his hand, he asked for the leaders of each of the other two bands to join him. The Bad Bro French violinist came out too and they just jammed and jammed until well after 10 o'clock. It was a captured evening, an absolute thrill ! The room was packed and most of those who tried to purchase tickets at the door were turned away. Quelle dommage !

We were married at the Historic 5th Street School a few weeks ago and we could not have picked a better venue or asked for a better experience.From the very beginning, Anastacio was friendly, helpful, and beyond wonderful to work with. We chose to have our wedding outside in the courtyard - the combination of the mission-style architecture, the amazing tiled fountain, and the beautifully lit trees was exactly what we had in mind. Anastacio was kind enough to help us find some vendors we loved (check out our review of Masterpiece Catering!) and he even stopped by the reception (we had both the ceremony and dinner on-site) to wish us well.Our guests couldn't say enough great things about the 5th Street School and neither can we. It's a little slice of vintage charm in the middle of downtown Las Vegas and it's close enough to the madness of Fremont Street (though you certainly wouldn't know it while you're in the school) that you can walk to the bars after if you so choose.I highly recommend checking this place out, even if you're not booking an event. It's a piece of the city's history (it was the original Vegas grammar school, serving all of the city's children way back in the 1930s) and it's worth walking around and experiencing in person.